The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-27
A WRECK on THE AIR LINE.
An Excursion Train of Nine Cars Re-
turning from Atlanta Run into by q
Wild treight-Disobedie OF
Orders the Cause Of the Cs-
tastrophe.
.Spsciul to the Neus and Courier.

SpsciQl TO the Neus and Courier.
GHEENyILLLE, October pa
friyhtrul collision occurred this morn,
ing on the Air Line Road near Greer 5
Station, ten miles north Of this city.
Passenger train No. 81, coming from
Atlanta with nine cars Of excursion.
lists returning from the Exposition,
collided with special freight train
bound south, two miles from Greer's
Station. Engineer Robert +. Wall,
of the passenger train, and Mrs.
Hampton Mcdowell, of Asheville,
| were killed, and eleven others were
injured. The accident was one of the
most frightful ever recorded in this
section, and the most remarkable
feature has been the small loss Of life.
When the passenger train reached
here this morning orders were handed
to Conductor Marshall and Engineer
Wall to run four hours and twenty
minutes late. This gave the train
the right of way on that schedule,
and after signing up orders and TAX
ing copies, the train pulled out for
it's nortllward run, making about
thirty miles an hour. Orders for No.
81 had been given to all trains on the
line, and when the special freight
train reached Greer's Engineer Har-
ris and Conductor Rsville were in
possession of them. Had they side
tracked at Greer's all would have
been well, but they did not do 80.
1t was only four miles to Taylor's
Station, and they calculated that
with the delayed schedule they could
make that point before the passenger
train. The calculation was frac.
ton wrong, and ten minutes after the
freight train had left the station the
collision occurred.
DOWN 4 STEEP GRADE.
The freight was running on steep
down grade aud the passenger had
just rounded a long curve when, like
3 meeting of mighty monsters in
combat, the two giant locomotives
crashed together. They careened
with the shock and fell back, the sap
senger engine turning completely
around and the engine of the freight
careening to one side. Back of the
passenger engine was the postal car
and next to it the express car. Here
came the full force of the collision.
The express car climbed through and
half way over the mail car, making
the two almost as one and scarcely
distinguishable. The baggage car,
which came next, was wrecked, but
not telescoped. With this the shock
spent itself, and back in the
Pullman sleeper, at the rear of the
train, it was scarcely felt.
Three OF the forward cars of the
freight were wrecked, and, catching
fire, were burned.
APPEARANCE OF THE WRECK.
This was the scene that met the
eyes Of the passengers who crowded
from the. train. A mass of mangled
engines and of crushed and wrecked
cars was there, and it was known
that human beings we're among the
debris. Prompt efforts were begun
for the rescue. In the forward pos
tai car we're Route Agents killian
Dykcman and Wilson, two young
men riding Or permits and Sheriff
Glenn, of York County. When the
crash came the express car crashed
half through the postal car. Agent
killian, who was stricken down found
himself imprisoned among the
broken timber at the top Of the car
Agents Dykeman and Wilson were
thrown and imprisoned by the wreck
AS if by miracle none was serious
ly injured, and the other three occu
pants of the car escaped altogether
TIE SCENE IN THE EMPRESS CAR.
In tae express car with Messenger
Erwin were his cousin, Mrs. Ilamp,
ton Mcdowell, his brother, Willie
and his sisters, Mary and Mamie
and their cousin, Miss Quinn, OF
Washington. They had chosen tc
ride with him because of. the crowd
in the train. When the first shock
passed the young ladies were in tho
middle Of the postal car, bruised, But
alive. Miss Quinn was imprisoned
at the top Of the car. where she had
been lying.
Just then the cry Of fire arose
and it was discovered that the ex
press car was on fire from the stove
Although themselves wounded
Agents killian and Dykeman made
brave and herculean efforts to rescue
The Young ladies, and succeeded
Tie fire blazed up several times, but
was each time extinguished.
MRS. MCDOWELL TORN IN TWO.
The body Of Mrs. Mcdowell wa:
mang!ed beyond description. Tho
clothing was torn Off and the .lowel
limbs lay bleeding on the track be
low, while the upper portion of the
body was tangled in the upper debCl:
Of ~tie car. 1t was spectacle 0
SURPRISING horror.
TIE MANGLED MESSENGER.
Express Messenger Erwin wa:
found with his left leg broken and hi:
right foot crushed to 8 jelly. Hi:
brother. Willie, was bruised, but no
seriously injured.
THE DEAD ENGENEER.
Among the wreck Of the passenge
engine was found the dead body o
Enrineor Wall He cried once Il